Chapter 24: Chapter 23 Face-slapping_1
Official Hu stood still, his expression somewhat bewildered.
It had been some days since he had been to West Street; he didn’t know that West Street had come out with a new medicine called Chun Yangsheng, and he hadn’t heard that it was produced by Xinglin Hall.
Xinglin Hall was managed by Bai Shouyi.
In Official Hu’s impression, Bai Shouyi was a pleasant and kindly old man. Except for the fact that his herbs were more expensive than those of others, which was somewhat burdensome for some of the poor people on West Street, he was still considered a decent businessman.
Now, upon suddenly hearing the news about Chun Yangsheng, Official Hu was truly surprised.
Although he was a pedant, he was not completely foolish. Chun Yangsheng and Chun Shui Sheng differed by only one character, both were herbal teas for alleviating nasal congestion, and with repeated hearing, it was inevitable for others to get confused. Backed up by a large medical hall like Xinglin Hall, in the end, people would probably only know of Chun Yangsheng and be unaware of Chun Shui Sheng.
This Bai Shouyi was clearly trying to imitate the herbal tea from Renxin Medical Hall.
Imitation itself was already a lesser practice, especially since they were neighbors on the same street, seeing each other regularly. Such a shameless act was completely incongruent with Bai Shouyi’s previous image of a good old man.
But why would Bai Shouyi do such a thing? Xinglin Hall was thriving, Bai Shouyi himself was wealthy, and Du Changqing, a down-and-out gentleman, had finally managed to hold his head high thanks to Chun Shui Sheng, with his medical hall on the verge of revival, only for Bai Shouyi to do this.
Was it worth pushing Du Changqing, who couldn’t compete with him in any respect and posed no threat, to his death?
Official Hu couldn’t figure it out.
As he was pondering, Elder Master Chen Si had already straightened his collar and stamped his foot, saying, "So that’s how it is. It must be that Xinglin Hall is imitating someone else’s medical hall’s herbal tea. Their skill is not up to the mark, and though it is a counterfeit product, they still promote its miraculous effects everywhere. Such a heartless medical hall, this old master must go and demand an explanation today!" Having said that, he motioned for his servant to come over, ready to ride the carriage forward.
Official Hu snapped back to reality and said, "Elder Brother Chen, wait!"
"What for?"
Official Hu stepped into the carriage with a couple of strides, shoved him aside, no longer concerned about the grudge over the beard plucking, and said with only one thing on his mind—to figure out what exactly was going on, "I’ll come with you!"
"What are you going for?"
Touching his swollen chin, Official Hu said with certainty, "Chun Shui Sheng was first discovered and recommended by me. Now with the spread of these counterfeits, my reputation is also implicated. If I don’t clear things up, wouldn’t it be too unfair? Naturally, I must go."
With a flick of his sleeve, he said, "Let’s go!"
...
So it was that Official Hu and Elder Master Chen Si took a carriage together, heading straight to Xinglin Hall on West Street. When they arrived at the entrance to West Street and got off the carriage, they walked a few steps and saw the gilded signboard of Xinglin Hall from a distance.
Elder Master Chen Si took a deep breath, flung the corner of his robe, and walked toward the entrance of the medical hall, saying, "Such a bold signboard for this scoundrel!"
Official Hu hurried to catch up and, mindful of the fact that it wouldn’t look good for neighbors on the same street to quarrel, couldn’t help but mediate, "Let’s talk it out, by all means, don’t start a fight."
While they were talking, suddenly a gust of wind swept by, and a sturdy woman with a broad back and waist walked past, bumping Official Hu to the side.
He stopped, about to get angry, but when he looked up, he saw the woman, full of fury, storming into Xinglin Hall and slamming her hand on the counter, "Is anyone there? Get out here for me, now!"
Official Hu and Elder Master Chen Si both paused in their steps.
What is this all about?
...
Inside Xinglin Hall, Bai Shouyi was carefully bringing an orchid into the house.
Lately, with the frequent night rains in Shengjing, many of the peonies in the courtyard had been badly damaged overnight. This orchid was delicate and couldn’t be left outside any longer.
The orchid, for which he had recently paid a high price of one piece of silver, exuded a faint and elegant fragrance, which somewhat dissipated the medicinal smell in the shop and made one feel relaxed and happy with a deep breath.
Indeed, his mood had been good lately.
The "Chun Yangsheng" sold by Xinglin Hall was doing very well.
Medicinal teas of the identical efficacy were one silver cheaper at Xinglin Hall than at Renxin Medical Hall. Besides, Xinglin Hall had a reputation as a well-established brand, so those in need of medicinal teas naturally entered without a second thought.
Hearing that the business of Renxin Medical Hall had plummeted, seeing few people entering its doors these past days brought satisfaction to Bai Shouyi’s heart.
Du Changqing, a good-for-nothing dandy, couldn’t possibly have much skill. Even if his success seemed brilliant for a moment, it was nothing more than an illusion, a reflection on water, fleeting and not worthy of serious regard.
Looking at the blooming flowers, Bai Shouyi calculated this month’s income. It had to be admitted that these medicinal teas were quite profitable. Just over ten days had passed, and the earnings had already matched those of several previous months. The ingredients for the teas were not expensive, and seeing their current high demand, he anticipated considerable earnings for Xinglin Hall once spring had passed.
Earning more silver was naturally good, but he intended to eventually take over Renxin Medical Hall and be the sole medical establishment on West Street. When the time came to increase consultation fees and the cost of medicinal herbs, the commoners would have no choice but to buy from him—how could he not make silver in the future?
As Bai Shouyi plotted with a smile growing brighter with self-satisfaction, he suddenly heard a commotion outside Xinglin Hall, sounding like someone was causing a scene.
He frowned, lifted the felt curtain, and looked outside, spotting a tall, sturdy woman with a headscarf standing before Zhou Ji and shouting in a coarse voice, "Call your shopkeeper out here!"
Probably here to make trouble, these lowlifes...
A flash of contempt crossed Bai Shouyi’s eyes, but his face showed a kindly smile as he came forward and said in an affable tone, "This aunty, I am Bai Shouyi..."
With a "ptui," a gob of thick spit landed on Bai Shouyi’s face.
Bai Shouyi was stunned.
Having run a medical establishment on West Street for many years and gained some reputation in Shengjing’s medical circles, he typically treated patients from affluent families who always minded their dignity in conversation. He had never encountered such a shrewish woman before, and for a moment, he felt disoriented, nausea welling up in his stomach.
However, the woman showed no regard for Bai Shouyi’s reaction as she berated him, "What a great Xinglin Hall you run, boasting about your Chun Yangsheng herbal tea’s instantaneous relief for nasal congestion, claiming it’s all miraculous! I scrimped and saved to buy three jars to brew and drink, and I haven’t seen the slightest effect. You boast of miraculous healing, but it’s more like Yama’s proclamation—nothing but lies!"
The woman was tall and strong, her speech sharp, and she finished her rant in one breath without pause, nearly causing Bai Shouyi to lose his composure. He took a deep breath, struggling to keep his tone calm, and said, "Without any evidence, madam, how can you defame my establishment’s reputation right at our doorstep?"
"Reputation? What reputation do you have to speak of!" The woman scoffed coldly, her words cutting sharply. She abruptly turned to face the busy street outside the shop and shouted loudly, "If you dare, ask around yourself. Has anyone felt a shred of effect after drinking your Chun Yangsheng?"
The commotion had already attracted a crowd of onlookers to the entrance of Xinglin Hall, and among them were Elder Master Chen Si and Official Hu lurking. Upon hearing this, before Official Hu could speak up, Elder Master Chen Si, as if given a cue, burst out complaining, "Exactly! What effect does this medicinal tea have? I’ve followed the directions and drunk it for seven or eight days, and still, the moment I step outside, my nose runs and eyes tear up as before, instantly relieved? You’re fooling ghosts!"
"One jar for three silvers, and it cost me fifteen silvers in all. You’re quick to take the money, but there’s no sign of any effect, and yet you have the nerve to accuse others of slander? Don’t you know that in business, one has to provide genuine quality goods, especially for a medical establishment, where human lives are at stake?"
Elder Master Chen Si had made his fortune in business, and he had always been articulate. Now, with some literary knowledge, he pressed his point even more aggressively.
There were others in the crowd who had bought Chun Yangsheng before. Previously, because they all lived in close quarters, and were concerned about maintaining neighborly relationships, they had kept silent about the inefficacy of the medicinal tea, writing it off as bad luck. But now that Elder Master Chen Si had spoken up, others followed suit, and murmurs started spreading.
"It’s true, I also heard that Xinglin Hall’s medicinal tea worked wonders, so I bought several jars to try. It’s no different from the usual nasal congestion herbal medicine; where’s the miraculous effect they boasted about?"
"Indeed, I thought it was just me. Turns out I’m not the only one who feels this way."
Another person said, "The word on the street was so compelling, Xinglin Hall has greatly misrepresented itself, it seems."
"Maybe it’s all for making money; you know, these people would sell their conscience for silver."
"Tsk, even a major medical establishment like Xinglin Hall can be conscienceless..."
Such discussions reached Bai Shouyi’s ears, and his expression darkened immediately.
Xinglin Hall’s years of good reputation were now under censure because of this medicinal tea—how could this be?
Just as he was about to speak up, someone in the crowd said, "Well, you get what you pay for. This medicinal tea from Xinglin Hall is just a knock-off of the original Chun Shui Sheng from Renxin Medical Hall. The one that was truly effective at first was Chun Shui Sheng. If you ask me, there’s a difference between a counterfeit and the real thing. Folks, if you want a cure for nasal congestion, you still have to go to Renxin Medical Hall!"
"The Chun Shui Sheng from Renxin Medical Hall is the truly effective miracle medicine!"
The voice wasn’t loud but just enough to reach everyone’s ears, causing Bai Shouyi’s gaze to turn cold and menacing.
Renxin Medical Hall...
He clenched his teeth—it was Du Changqing again.